Sheriff's Department welcomes new vehicle

Lewis  Through the auspices of the 1033 Excess Military Program, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office was able to obtain a used military Humvee vehicle which was recently put into service.

After the flooding of Hurricane Irene in 2011, the Sheriff’s Office utilized the services of the Defense Reutilization Offices and NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services to bring a surplus Humvee to Essex County for backcountry and flooding rescue efforts to be better prepared for future disasters. This vehicle was declared surplus by the military and is on indefinite loan to the Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle first went to BOCES in Mineville for servicing and body work then to the Essex County Highway Department for installation of emergency lights and a paint job.

This is another service that the Sheriff’s Office can provide to the residents of Essex County in this fiscally conservative time. The vehicle is on indefinite loan, free of charge and all work so far has been done utilizing asset forfeiture monies received from criminal enterprises such as drug deals.

The Excess Military Program has been responsible for providing equipment and vehicles to police agencies state wide for a number of years. Under this program, police can obtain aircraft, rescue vehicles, weaponry and equipment on a loan basis. Basically, anything that can be justified for police and public safety use can be requested. A significant number of police agencies and Sheriff’s Offices have utilized this service and have these vehicles in service for public safety.

Essex County Sheriff Richard Cutting said that the police are one of the first agencies to respond during natural disasters and having this Humvee will better enable us to travel in hazardous conditions to better serve our residents. The Humvee is a four-wheel drive vehicle suited for high water and/or deep snow. This vehicle will allow us to get in and out of areas helping evacuations when necessary.